South Suburban Contractors Take Their Home Show On The Road

September 12, 1992|By Jim Sulski.

With a sluggish economy still tugging at the home-building industry, members of the South Suburban Residential Contractors Association this year have decided to hold a scattered-site Preview of Homes for the first time.

While that decision means that potential buyers will have to do a bit of traveling, it also means a plethora of viewing opportunities.

This year`s Preview, the SSRCA`s fourth annual home show, opens Saturday and will run through Sept. 27. It will showcase 27 homes by 23 builders in 13 south suburbs. Most of the homes will be open each day of the Preview from noon to 6 p.m. There`s no admission charge.

``Basically, we didn`t get the participation we hoped for in planning for a single-site Preview,`` Jerry Dill, chairman of the Preview. ``So we came up with this alternative and received a great response from the builders.``

Dill said because of the large number of builders participating, there will also be a wide range of products and prices available. Homes will range from $89,000 to more than $1 million, but most of the homes are priced between $170,000 and $325,000, said Dill, and are aimed primarily at moveup buyers.

The homes also will show a variety of styles, from a 1,672-square-foot, three-bedroom townhouse to a 7,500-square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate home to a contemporary two-story home with a Y-shaped floorplan.

Traditional two-story, three- or four-bedrooms homes are the most common style in the Preview, said Dill.

Geographically, the show is also covering a wide area, from Oak Lawn on the north to Lockport and Homer Township on the west to University Park on the south.

``There are many different areas buyers can choose from,`` he said.

The diversity of homes is expected to attract a more ``serious buyer,``

said Dill, of Beechen, Dill & Sperling Builders, which is exhibiting the President in Orland Park.

``Potential buyers can be more specific,`` he said. ``We don`t expect anyone to go to each and every home in the Preview. We expect potential buyers to choose first by price and then by town.

``So these buyers won`t be the typical tire-kickers or people who visit a single-site show for decorating ideas. At a single-site show, someone may walk through a model home just because it`s there, not because they have any interest in purchasing it.``

The bottom line, said Dill, is that the scattered-site show is expected to draw less people but more sales than a single-site show.

``This format will work a lot better for the serious buyer,`` said Paul Huguelet of Huguelet Construction, which is showcasing the single-family Pittsford model in Frankfort.

``For example, if someone is interested in the Frankfort area, they can take a look at the properties near there and then zero in on their price range,`` he added.

Although the Preview is scattered and diversified, Dill said the home show does have a unifying theme: value.

``We want to get across the value of the south suburbs,`` he said. ``Home prices here are lower than the west and north suburbs, basically because land costs are lower. Even at the million-dollar level, you can even get a lot more home for your money (in the south suburbs).``

Although most of the potential buyers are expected to come from the south suburbs, Dill also expected to draw buyers from other areas of Chicago.

``We are drawing more attention from buyers outside the area because of our prices, especially in the current economy,`` Dill said.

For more information on the Preview of Homes, contact the South Suburban Residential Contractors Association at 708-532-2229.